1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information record medium such as an optical disk of a high recording density type, which is capable of recording information such as video information, audio information and the like at a high density, and which is represented by a DVD (Digital Video or Versatile Disk). The present invention also relates to a recording apparatus for recording the information onto the information record medium, and a reproducing apparatus for reproducing the information from the information record medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a so-called LD (Laser Disk) and a so-called CD (Compact Disk) are generalized as optical disks, on which information such as video information, audio information and the like is recorded.
On the LD or the like, the video information and the audio information are recorded together with time information indicating a time at which each information is to be reproduced with respect to a reproduction start position, which each LD or the like has, as a standard position. Thus, other than a general normal reproduction to reproduce the recorded information in the order of recording, various special reproductions are possible, such as a reproduction to extract and listen to an only desirable music out of a plurality of recorded musics, a reproduction to listen to the recorded musics in a random order and so on, in case of the CD, for example.
However, there is a problem that, according to the above mentioned LD or the like, a so-called interactive and variegated reproduction is not possible in which the audience can have a plurality of selection branches as for the video or audio information to be displayed or sound-outputted and in which the audience can select them to watch or listen to it.
Namely, for example, in case of giving audience to a foreign movie on the LD, it is not possible to select one of languages to be used for a subtitle (caption) displayed on the picture plane (e.g., select one of the subtitle in Japanese and the subtitle in the original language) so as to display the subtitle in the selected language, or, in case of giving audience to a music recorded on the CD, it is not possible to select one of sound voices of the music (e.g., select one of the English lyric and the Japanese lyric).
On the other hand, various proposals and developments are being made as for the DVD, as an optical disk in which the memory capacity is improved by about ten times without changing the size of the optical disk itself as compared with the aforementioned conventional CD. With respect to this DVD, if a plurality of subtitles in various languages or a plurality of voice sounds in various languages are recorded, the above mentioned interactive and variegated reproduction is possible as the audience selects one of them.
When recording the audio voices in a plurality of different languages, various kinds of musics and the like on the DVD, it is possible to increase the number of bits at a time of digitizing and recording them to thereby record the audio sound and the like with high quality. However, at this time, if trying to make the reproducing apparatus cheaper by utilizing a decoder used in the conventional reproducing apparatus; there may be a case where the decoder does not have a processing capacity corresponding to the number of the bits of the audio sound and the like recorded on the DVD.
In this case, unless the audio sound or the like is recorded in an appropriate recording condition, there may occur a problem that the audio information to be reproduced cannot be reproduced at a time of reproducing by using the cheap reproducing apparatus in which the conventional decoder is utilized.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide: an information recording apparatus, which can record the audio sound etc. in such a manner that the audio sound etc. can be easily reproduced from the DVD etc., by either one of a cheap reproducing apparatus, which is equipped with a decoder having the same function as that of the conventional decoder, and a reproducing apparatus, which is equipped with a high performance decoder dedicated to the DVD etc.; an information record medium, on which the audio sound etc. are recorded by the information recording apparatus in that manner; and an information reproducing apparatus, which can reproduce the audio sound etc. from the information record medium.
The above object of the present invention can be achieved by an information recording apparatus provided with: a quantize device for quantizing record information to be recorded, by 8xc3x97n (n is a natural number equal to or more than 2) bits at every quantization timing, to thereby output quantized record information; a divide device for dividing the quantized record information quantized at one quantization timing, into (i) high order bit quantized record information, which is a portion at high order 8xc3x97m (m less than n, and m is a natural number) bits of the quantized record information including a predetermined portion of the record information, which must be reproduced at a time of reproducing the record information, among the quantized record information quantized at the one quantization timing, and (ii) low order bit quantized record information, which is another portion of the quantized record information other than the high order bit quantized record information among the quantized record information quantized at the one quantization timing; a multiplexed record information generation device for constituting, on the basis of the divided high order bit quantized record information and the divided low order bit quantized record information, (i) a high order bit quantized record information block including a plurality of high order bit quantized record informations corresponding to consecutive quantization timings and (ii) a low order bit quantized record information block including a plurality of low order bit quantized record informations corresponding to the consecutive quantization timings, to which the high order bit quantized record informations constituting the high order bit quantized record information block correspond, and for multiplexing the constituted high order bit quantized record information block and the constituted low order bit quantized record information block adjacent to each other to thereby generate multiplexed record information; and a record device, such as a mastering device etc., for recording the multiplexed record information onto an information record medium such as the DVD or the like.
According to the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the record information is quantized by 8xc3x97n (n is a natural number equal to or more than 2) bits at every quantization timing, and the quantized record information is outputted by the quantize device. Then, the quantized record information quantized at one quantization timing is divided, by the divide device, into the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized record information. After that, on the basis of the divided high order bit quantized record information and the divided low order bit quantized record information, the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block are constituted, and the constituted high order bit quantized record information block and the constituted low order bit quantized record information block are multiplexed adjacent to each other, so that the multiplexed record information is generated by the multiplexed record information generation device. Finally, the multiplexed record information is recorded onto the information record medium, such as the DVD or the like, by the record device, such as a mastering device etc.
In this manner, the record information is divided into the high order bit quantized record information at the high order 8xc3x97m bits including the record information which must be reproduced at a time of reproducing and the low order bit quantized record information other than it, and the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block are constituted respectively by a plurality of high order bit quantized record informations and a plurality of low order bit quantized record informations, in the record information recorded on the information record medium. Therefore, at a time of reproducing the record information, it is possible to extract only the high order bit quantized record information block to thereby perform the reproduction process for the high order bit quantized record information included therein.
As a result, the record information can be easily reproduced by the information reproducing apparatus equipped with a reproduction process device, which can perform only the reproduction process corresponding to the number of bits of the high order bit quantized record information.
Further, even the information reproducing apparatus equipped with a reproduction process device, which can perform the reproduction process corresponding to the number of total bits of the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block, can extract the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized record information respectively to thereby easily perform the reproduction process with the corresponding high order bit quantized record information and low order bit quantized record information in one pair. As a result, it is possible to easily perform the reproduction of the record information.
In one aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the record information comprises audio information. The quantize device quantizes the record information by 24 bits. And that, the divide device prescribes a portion at high order 16 bits of the quantized record information, which is quantized at the one quantization timing, as the high order bit quantized record information, and prescribes a portion at low order 8 bits of the quantized record information, which is quantized at the one quantization timing, as the low order bit quantized record information.
According to this aspect, since each of the quantized record information, the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized-record information has the number of bits equal to the integer multiple of 8, the process can be simplified in the 8 bits digital signal process.
In another aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the multiplexed record information generation device constitutes the high order bit quantized record information block of two high order bit quantized record informations corresponding to consecutive two quantization timings, and also constitutes the low order bit quantized record information block of two low order bit quantized record informations corresponding to the consecutive two quantization timings, to which the two high order bit quantized record informations constituting the high order bit quantized record information block correspond.
According to this aspect, at a time of reproducing the record information by an information reproducing apparatus equipped with a reproduction process device having a process capability of the number of total bits of the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block, it is possible to reduce a memory capacity required for synthesizing the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized record information.
Further, since both of the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block have sizes of the integer multiples of 8 irrespective of the number of information samples of the record information quantized at one quantization timing, the digital signal process can be made even easier.
The above object of the present invention can be also achieved by an information record medium such as the DVD or the like, on which record information to be reproduced by an information reproducing apparatus provided with at least a detection device for detecting the record information recorded on the information record medium and a reproduction process device for performing a reproduction process of the detected record information. In the information record medium, the record information is quantized by 8xc3x97n (n is a natural number equal to or more than 2) bits at every quantization timing. The quantized record information quantized at one quantization timing, is divided into (i) high order bit quantized record information, which is a portion at high order 8xc3x97m (m less than n, and m is a natural number) bits of the quantized record information including a predetermined portion of the record information, which must be reproduced at a time of reproducing the record information, among the quantized record information quantized at the one quantization timing, and (ii) low order bit quantized record information, which is another portion of the quantized record information other than the high order bit quantized record information among the quantized record information quantized at the one quantization timing. (i) A high order bit quantized record information block including a plurality of high order bit quantized record informations corresponding to consecutive quantization timings and (ii) a low order bit quantized record information block including a plurality of low order bit quantized record informations corresponding to the consecutive quantization timings, to which the high order bit quantized record informations constituting the high order bit quantized record information block correspond, are constituted. And that, the constituted high order bit quantized record information block and the constituted low order bit quantized record information block are multiplexed adjacent to each other.
According to the information record medium of the present invention, the record information is divided into the high order bit quantized record information at the high order 8xc3x97m bits including the record information which must be reproduced at a time of reproducing and the low order bit quantized record information other than it, and the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block are constituted respectively by a plurality of high order bit quantized record informations and a plurality of low order bit quantized record informations.
Therefore, at a time of reproducing the record information, it is possible to extract only the high order bit quantized record information block to thereby perform the reproduction process for the high order bit quantized record information included therein.
As a result, the record information can be easily reproduced by the information reproducing apparatus equipped with a reproduction process device, which can perform only the reproduction process corresponding to the number of bits of the high order bit quantized record information.
Further, even the information reproducing apparatus equipped with a reproduction process device, which can perform the reproduction process corresponding to the number of total bits of the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block, can extract the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized record information respectively to thereby easily perform the reproduction process with the corresponding high order bit quantized record information and low order bit quantized record information in one pair. As a result, it is possible to easily perform the reproduction of the record information.
In one aspect of the information record medium of the present invention, the record information comprises audio information. The record information is quantized by 24bits. And that, a portion at high order 16 bits of the quantized record information, which is quantized at the one quantization timing, is prescribed as the high order bit quantized record information, and a portion at low order 8 bits of the quantized record information, which is quantized at the one quantization timing, is prescribed as the low order bit quantized record information.
According to this aspect, since each of the quantized record information, the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized record information has the number of bits equal to the integer multiple of 8, the process can be simplified in the 8 bits digital signal process.
In another aspect of the information record medium of the present invention, the high order bit quantized record information block is constituted of two high order bit quantized record informations corresponding to consecutive two quantization timings, and the low order bit quantized record information block is constituted of two low order bit quantized record informations corresponding to the consecutive two quantization timings, to which the two high order bit quantized record informations constituting the high order bit quantized record information block correspond.
According to this aspect, at a time of reproducing the record information by an information reproducing apparatus equipped with a reproduction process device having a process capability of the number of total bits of the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block, it is possible to reduce a memory capacity required for synthesizing the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized record information.
Further, since both of the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block have sizes of the integer multiples of 8 irrespective of the number of information samples of the record information quantized at one quantization timing, the digital signal process can be made even easier.
The above object of the present invention can be also achieved by a first information reproducing apparatus for reproducing record information from the above described information record medium of the present invention. The first information reproducing apparatus is provided with: a detection and demodulation device for detecting and demodulating the multiplexed record information from the information record medium to thereby output a demodulation signal; a record information block extract device for extracting only the high order bit quantized record information block from the demodulation signal; and a reproduction process device for performing a reproduction process of the high order bit quantized record information included in the extracted high order bit quantized record information block to thereby output the record information.
According to the first information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the multiplexed record information is detected and demodulated from the information record medium, and the demodulation signal is outputted by the detection and demodulation device. Then, only the high order bit quantized record information block is extracted from the demodulation signal, by the record information block extract device. Then, the reproduction process of the high order bit quantized record information included in the extracted high order bit quantized record information block is performed, and the record information is outputted by the reproduction process device.
Therefore, in case that the reproduction process device has the process capability of performing only the number of bits of the high order bit quantized record information, it is possible to extract only the high order bit quantized record information block to thereby perform the reproduction process for the high order bit quantized record information included therein.
As a result, the record information can be easily reproduced by the information reproducing apparatus equipped with a reproduction process device, which can perform only the reproduction process corresponding to the number of bits of the high order bit quantized record information.
In one aspect of the first information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the record information comprises audio information. The record information is quantized by 24 bits. A portion at high order 16 bits of the quantized record information, which is quantized at the one quantization timing, is prescribed as the high order bit quantized record information, and a portion at low order 8 bits of the quantized record information, which is quantized at the one quantization timing, is prescribed as the low order bit quantized record information. And that, the reproduction process device performs the reproduction process of the portion at the high order 16 bits of the quantized record information.
According to this aspect, since each of the quantized record information, the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized record information has the number of bits equal to the integer multiple of 8, the process can be simplified in the 8 bits digital signal process.
In another aspect of the first information reproducing of the present invention, the high order bit quantized record information block is constituted of two high order bit quantized record informations corresponding to consecutive two quantization timings, and the low order bit quantized record information block is constituted of two low order bit quantized record informations corresponding to the consecutive two quantization timings, to which the two high order bit quantized record informations constituting the high order bit quantized record information block correspond. And that, the record information block extract device extracts the two high order bit quantized record informations as the high order bit quantized record information block.
According to this aspect, since both of the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block have sizes of the integer multiples of 8 irrespective of the number of information samples of the record information quantized at one quantization timing, the digital signal process can be made even easier.
The above object of the present invention can be also achieved by a second information reproducing apparatus for reproducing record information from the above described information record medium of the present invention. The second information reproducing apparatus is provided with: a detection and demodulation device for detecting and demodulating the multiplexed record information from the information record medium to thereby output a demodulation signal; a record information block extract device for extracting the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block from the demodulation signal; a quantized record information extract device for extracting the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized record information, which corresponds to the high order bit quantized record information, from the extracted high order bit quantized record information block and the extracted low order bit quantized record information block respectively; and a reproduction process device for synthesizing and performing a reproduction process of the extracted high order bit quantized record information and the extracted low order bit quantized record information to thereby output the record information.
According to the second information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the multiplexed record information is detected and demodulated from the information record medium, and the demodulation signal is outputted by the detection and demodulation device. Then, the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block are extracted respectively from the demodulation signal, by the record information block extract device. Then, the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized record information are extracted from the extracted high order bit quantized record information block and the extracted low order bit quantized record information block respectively, by the quantized record information extract device. Finally, the extracted high order bit quantized record information and the extracted low order bit quantized record information are synthesized and the reproduction process of it is performed, and the record information is outputted by the reproduction process device.
Therefore, it is possible to extract both of the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized record information, to thereby easily perform the reproduction process with the corresponding high order bit quantized record information and low order bit quantized record information in one pair, As a result, it is possible to easily perform the reproduction of the record information.
In one aspect of the second information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the record information comprises audio information. The record information is quantized by 24bits. A portion at high order 16 bits of the quantized record information, which is quantized at the one quantization timing, is prescribed as the high order bit quantized record information, and a portion at low order 8 bits of the quantized record information, which is quantized at the one quantization timing, is prescribed as the low order bit quantized record information. And that, the quantized record information extract device extracts the portion at the high order 16 bits of the quantized record information as the high order bit quantized record information, and extract the portion at the lower order 8 bits of the quantized record information as the low order bit quantized record information.
According to this aspect, since each of the quantized record information, the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized record information has the number of bits equal to the integer multiple of 8, the process can be simplified in the 8 bits digital signal process.
In another aspect of the second information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the high order bit quantized record information block is constituted of two high order bit quantized record informations corresponding to consecutive two quantization timings, and the low order bit quantized record information block is constituted of two low order bit quantized record informations corresponding to the consecutive two quantization timings, to which the two high order bit quantized record informations constituting the high order bit quantized record information block correspond. And that, the record information block extract device extracts the two high order bit quantized record informations and the two low order bit quantized record informations.
According to this aspect, in the-information reproducing apparatus equipped with a reproduction process device having a process capability of the number of total bits of the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block, it is possible to reduce a memory capacity required for synthesizing the high order bit quantized record information and the low order bit quantized record information.
Further, since both of the high order bit quantized record information block and the low order bit quantized record information block have sizes of the integer multiples of 8 irrespective of the number of information samples of the record information quantized at one quantization timing, the digital signal process can be made even easier.